


Girl Code

by Ourfandomcrazyuniverse



Category: Starkid, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, tgwdlm - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hidgens is a father figure, The Beanies gals!, father daughter hidgens emma, infected!paul, people think Emma May have been abused to small tw for that, some Zoey x Emma if you look close enough, some angst with hidgens too implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 21:30:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20181028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ourfandomcrazyuniverse/pseuds/Ourfandomcrazyuniverse
Summary: Set months after the apocalypse, where the events of Tgwdlm took place, but Emma managed to destroy the meteor for good and make everyone human again. Or so she thought... After months of being together Emma realised all this time Paul has never been curedAnd the Beanies gals have to look out for each other when Emma’s in pain, and that’s what they’ll do‘If looks could kill, Paul would be a pile of ash in this Beanies.’





	Girl Code

“No. No, you’re not Paul!”

“Yes I am! Please listen to me!”

Emma threw another object now, this time a ceramic lamp Paul got her at a thrift shop for their month anniversary, something Emma once thought was overly sweet and now was disgusted by. Paul dodged it easily, shifting his head and turning his shoulders to the side, his feet firm in place, his movements too inhuman for Emma to cope with. After all, he could be himself now. She’d just learnt after months that she’d never gotten her Paul back, he was still infected.  
“He’s been dead this whole time...” she brought her hand to her forehead, her breathing getting all fucked up again. Paul tried to move forward with open palms but every step he’d take she’d take two back. “You’ve been lying to me!” She accused.

Paul moved the overturned table she’d thrown, out of his way with ease, stepping over the tossed chair without even looking at the obstacle. “Just sit down and I can explain-“ He tried for what felt like the millionth time in the past 10 minutes.

“I’ve been living with this thing...” Emma was speaking mainly to herself at this point, she didn’t really feel like having a conversation with ‘Paul’ right now. Well unless it was purely screaming at him.

“Emma..!”

Tears started to brim in her eyes as she looked up at him; she was still confused, everyone else had been fine once the meteor was destroyed. Angry, how could he have done this to her? Pretend to still be the man she once thought she loved, what sick joke was this? And sick to her stomach.  
She pointed a finger at him, slamming her back against the door as she frantically felt for the handle, like prey refusing to take her eyes off him, “You stay away from me Paul!”

She didn’t even hear his reply because she was stampeding down the corridor the very next second, running and running without even thinking about where she was running to. Her mouth started to taste metallic as the harsh whip of cool wind started to wake her brain up again, she could feel the stitch in her side.. oh fuck! It reminded her, even though her stitches had been out for a while now, that she should not be running on her leg yet. She started jogging instead as if that would give more energy to her brain in this scenario. Looking down, as if it would be bright red and purple with a big exclamation point to tell her to stop running, she examined her thigh. It was weird, she couldn’t feel any pain from it, she knew she should, but she chalked it up to adrenaline and resumed running once more. There was no way she was slowing down for that infected son of a bitch to catch up to her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Paul almost ran past the door as he skidded to a halt, frantically slamming the door open but then when met with Zoey’s glare he tried to compose himself a little. He straightened his tie “Hey Zoey!” He spoke to her but clearly could not be paying any less attention, his head moving side to side to peek around all the crevices of Beanies. It wasn’t like Zoey was paying much attention anyway, having drawn her gaze back down to her phone.

“Is, erm, have you seen Emma?” He smiled at her, too fake, his forehead all scrunched up in some emotion Zoey wouldn’t have been able to tell, even if she had been giving him more than sideglances.

“Brown hair, brown eyes, 3 foot 2, rude..?” Zoey droned on.

Paul cut her off with a let’s wrap it up gesture “Yes yes, but has she come in here today, like, just now?” He tried to sound as composed and ‘un-desperate’ as possible, sliding his sweat lined hair back from his forehead.

Zoey just scoffed at him. “Yeah, like she’d wanna spend her free time here.” Then she giggled at something on her phone.

Part of Paul was appalled she wasn’t worried in the slightest, he wasn’t exactly giving off an ‘everything’s fine’ aura. But the other part of him just needed to find Emma, and he couldn’t stop to chat. “Well, if she comes in here, just- ...please let me know.”

“Sure thing Pat.”

Paul rolled his eyes at her before busting out the door again, and running off down the street.

...

Watching through the window, Zoey saw him run past the corner, she expected him to slip and fall on his ass the way Emma had described him in one of their few conversations about their personal lives, but he ran like a terminator, storming down the dark streets of Hatchetfield. Once she’d made sure he was gone, and wasn’t coming back, she locked the door to Beanies, reasoning no one was gonna come in this late and if they did she wouldn’t let them, before going back to the employee lounge. She set her phone in her pocket before gently sitting on the old sofa and with a sigh turning to look at a hyperventilating Emma.

She set her hand down on her thigh, watching as Emma looked up to her with tears brimming at her eyes. 

“Tell me what happened.”

_~5 mins before~_

She kept running, damning the faint streetlights of Hatchetfield, until she got to a street she’d know anywhere. This was just a block away! She checked her watch and could cry with joy, it was 10:52, it could still be open as long as they hadn’t shut early! She ran and ran, seeing all the shutters of closed businesses and for once blessing her boss for deciding people need coffee very late at night too. She pinpointed it’s unmistakable yellow glow of their lights and honed it on it, running until her heart hurt before bursting through the door, nearly breaking the bell signalling her arrival...

Zoey jumped back, nearly dropping her phone, god forbid, as the door slammed against the wall, she wasn’t even sure it’s hinges were supposed to stretch that far. No one came in this late, it was a shitty business idea. Looking to see the perpetrator she saw an energy fuelled Emma staring at her like she was a goddess from on high. Was _she_ high?

“Zoey!”

Now Zoey knew there was something wrong, Emma was never this happy to see her. She tried to act like she wasn’t completely suspicious of her actions; asking her “What are you doing here?” 

Emma looked around a second, like she was trying to figure it out too... or make up an excuse.  
She grabbed her apron from the coat rack and flipped the entrance to behind the counter open. “I decided to take that extra shift tonight actually.” She nodded heavily to support that idea. Her hands were leaving sweat stains all over the wooden counter and her neck was craned so she could stare through the window furthest from the street. Zoey didn’t like to show she cared that much but she knew Emma’s breathing wasn’t right at all. “Wh-“ she tried before Emma cut her off, not listening.

“Look, if anyone comes in just- okay, shit” Emma babbled. Zoey put her phone down on the counter.  
“Shit. Okay I’m going to be in the back room, don’t call for me, in fact, act as if I’m not even here,” Emma swiped her hand over her neck through the air in gesture. “I’ll just work quietly in the back tonight.” She hadn’t even finished her sentence before running off behind closed doors. Zoey picked up her phone when the bell rung just as frantic as last time...

_~now~_

“Emma?” Zoey asked once again, starting to chew on her lip like she always did when she was genuinely worried. What made her almost more worried was that Emma suddenly threw her arms around her. Zoey’s arms hung cautiously in the air for a moment, as Emma’s only tightened. Emma had never hugged her.   
She quickly reciprocated, holding her close in such a big sister way, even though she was much younger. 

It always shook Emma how tall Zoey was. Her face was buried in her chest without her even hunching, and she was crying right into her work uniform. But Zoey couldn’t have cared less. One arm stayed secure around her back, the other reaching up to stroke through her hair, that wasn’t in her usual Beanies bun.   
Emma would have bet any money she could take a bitch out with those nails.  
Zoey was completely in shock though, no matter how well she could act like everything was under control. She had never, once, seen Emma cry. Not even on her worst days, sometimes she didn’t even think she ever had. This just sealed the thought in her mind that something really awful had happened, not just a normal fight, or bad day, and from what cues she’d picked up, that it had been Emma’s boyfriends fault.

Zoey rocked back and forth with her, letting her cry herself out. Emma felt like a child truthfully, but she didn’t want it to end, though she knew it had to. When she started feeling her nose get runny she decided to pull back to spare the rest of Zoey’s top. Wiping at her eyes that now felt raw she sighed. “God, I’m so sorry I... I should get myself cleaned up or something.” She started mumbling towards the end of her sentence.

Zoey shook her head in dismissal, passing her a clean tissue and tucking more of her hair behind her ear. “Just stay here, I’m gonna call Nora to come over, we’ll have a chat.” She said it in a way that Emma knew meant no arguing, which at this point she kind of craved; even though she might have once been adverse to spilling her sob story to her coworkers. Just to let someone else take the wheel so she could wind down for just a moment, it felt nice.

Emma went to splash her face with some water in the bathroom, clearing her nose and wiping her eyes, but when they started to get puffier she just left them. It was only a moment later that Zoey came back to join her, with a tall Beanies cup in her hands, passing it to Emma.   
“Here.” She said as she sat down next to her again. “I know you hate our coffee, so I got you tea hun.”

The pet name slipped through Zoey’s mouth and over Emma’s head; the warmth felt so nice in her hands. Blowing through the lid, Emma took a sip, looking back at it with surprise.  
“Honey?” She asked, licking at her lips.

Zoey started to stutter, as if she hadn’t realised she put honey in it, herself. “Oh yeah, well I thought it might help I, I promise I didn’t spit in it but if you want a hot chocolate instead It’s-“ she spoke over herself, Emma interrupted with a short, sad laugh.  
“It’s great. Thank you, Zoey.” The way Emma looked at her when thanking her, they both knew she didn’t mean just for the drink.

Zoey waved her hand in the air dismissively at her, ”It’s really nothing.” She smiled. Emma offered her the cup and Zoey graciously took a sip, giving it back straight away. “I could always put some liquor in it.” She joked, both girls laughing but both knowing it was a facade.   
“Nah, I think I’ll wait till tomorrow and get something a bit stronger.” Emma smiled at her, taking another long drink.

She hadn’t even finished it when Zoey noticed how shaky Emma’s hands were, and afraid of her spilling it on herself, she gently cupped Emma’s hands in her own, moving them and the cup to the table and smiling kindly at her. Emma looked down and noticed she was squeezing the lid off as well as shaking the boiling liquid about, she happily let Zoey lead her, setting the cup down and smiling up at her, but now she was getting emotional again, god she didn’t even notice her own damn hands shaking, how was she ever supposed to notice that Paul was-

Emma burst into tears. Zoey didn’t know what had brought it on but rushed into action. “Oh hun...” she cooed softly. She rubbed her back as Emma hid her face in her hands. Zoey tried everything she could, but still wanting to wait for Nora to come before they got into what was wrong. “It’s okay to cry.” She promised. Her soft hair fell over Emma’s shoulder and Emma was glad to have one of her senses distracted, Zoey’s strawberry shampoo was nothing related to Paul and that’s what she needed right now. Nothing to do with him.

It was only several minutes later when Zoey’s phone buzzed. She and Emma both looked to it, vibrating on the table and pulling them out of their thoughts. Zoey gave Emma a quick smile before getting up to grab it.

‘I’m outside.’

Came the text, Zoey walking to the door and, after quickly checking through the blinds, unlocked the door for Nora.

“What’s with the peeking?” Nora asked, shrugging her coat off and quickly storming inside, looking around the store to see the damage. “I thought you said there was an emergency.”

Zoey locked the door behind her boss, checking the blinds once more before tuning to her. “There kinda is...”

Emma had been trying some breathing techniques she’d looked up on YouTube a few months back, convincing herself at some point she was going to see a therapist, to air all her trauma out, but had always gotten distracted. Her heavy breathing may have been why she hadn’t heard the door open, only when Nora’s footsteps took a few steps into the doorway did she notice, but it was too late to put on a brave face, and she couldn’t bear to look up at her.

“Did he hurt you?”

She was very straightforward with the question, as soon as she saw Emma the worst case scenarios running through her head.

Tears spilled down Emma’s cheeks before she could catch them, quickly trying to dab at her face with the tissue Zoey gave her. What could she tell them?!  
“No, it’s-“ that wouldn’t work. “He...” they wouldn’t buy that.

Luckily Zoey saved her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Emma shook her head. She couldn't! How could she tell them that Paul was still infected, that she hadn't noticed in all this time, she had to understand it herself before she could explain it to them.   
She'd only just stopped crying and now she felt hot tears welling up again! She damned herself for not being able to hold it in, but she was very grateful that they weren't giving her an overwhelming amount of pity. She sobbed in her woe, unsure what else she could do, except accept their comfort they were offering.

Both girls rushed to her side. Nora wrapped her arm around her shoulder and had her other arm on Emma's knee, while Zoey had reclaimed her hair touching which was a spine shiveringly pleasant feeling, as well as rubbing Emma's lower thigh comfortingly.

With a look to each other, as Emma buried her face in her hands, her two co workers decided not to pry just yet. Instead Zoey moved on to the next subject.  
"You know, I never knew what you saw in him."   
Emma looked up at her, tired, and Nora gave Zoey a worried glance, that now might not be the time, but Zoey was trying to deal with it the same way she dealt with all her friends break ups. Even if this was clearly different and a harmful situation, maybe that sense of normality would help her, plus she knew Emma preferred when people were honest rather than sugar coating matters. "You’re fucking hot Emma!"  
Emma couldn't help but chuckle, resting her hand down on top of Zoey's, looking to Nora for agreement.  
"Yeah!" Nora stepped in, smiling over Emma's head at Zoey then back down at her.  
"He was just kinda... an average joe." Zoey continued.  
Nora added, "You had fire, he could come off as rude. He was boring, you wanted adventure."   
They both ended on the same sentiment. "You can do better"

This was too much for Emma, who'd rarely gotten any compliments, always second to Jane, a stranger in a foreign country, nowhere near top of the class, and everything Paul had said the last several months and clearly been a lie. So she couldn't help but wrap her arms around the two girls middles, bringing them in and they happily squeezed back in a sort of couch group hug. With Nora’s head resting on top of hers and Zoey hunching down to rest her chin on her shoulder, cheek to cheek. 

Zoey's phone interrupted the moment. Emma was surprised she made no move to immediately snatch it up, watching as she listened to the tune then swore, clearly recognising what it meant.  
"11:15, last bus leaves in 10 minutes." She looked between Nora and Emma like she didn't know what she should do, clearly not wanting to leave just yet.  
But Nora knew, she was the boss, after all. She slapped her knees and stood up, Emma subconsciously burying herself into Zoey's side more now, missing the warmth.  
"Right then! We can't stay in here till morning. I'm pretty sure the heating doesn't stay on that long." She planned out.

Zoey took Emma's shoulders so she'd look at her. Emma turned to face Zoey's serious expression. "And girl code dictates we're not leaving you on your own tonight." 'Especially if your ex is still out there' she wanted to add, but she sealed her lips luckily, doubting that extra comment would do Emma any good. She had no idea what could have gone on between the two of them. Looking over Emma she hadn't seen any markings that were signs of physical abuse, but she knew something, when Emma came into Beanies tonight, she was scared.

"Zoey I'll give you a lift home." Nora nodded to her, fretting Emma could be stubborn if she thought she was just worrying over her, and the major thing being not wanting to leave any of her girls tonight.  
Zoey gave her a quick smile with the corner of her lips. "Thanks Nora." She kept her hands wrapped around her small friend.

Nora nodded, turning to Emma as if she was moving on with her checklist. "You can always come spend the night at mine if you want."

After the almost apocalypse Emma had moved in with Paul quickly. Because the people of Hatchetfield realised they shouldn’t waste their short life after almost losing everyone they love, a lot of proposals and pregnancies spreed, in fact Emma was almost sure after a year Paul would probably propose himself, the rate Hatchetfield citizens were going. She'd moved in with him, out of her shitty apartment as his job was better paying, because he had been at it for nearly a decade, and he had small house. It truly was homely, Emma thought she might even miss it if it wasn’t for all the negative connotations it now suddenly held.

So even though Emma couldn't go back there, she shook her head.

But Emma couldn't really get her thoughts together enough, let alone pretend she was completely fine and dependent, and totally not homeless at the moment. "No, no. I- I'll..." 

Nora didn't miss the look Zoey shot her. The 'please figure something out I'm worried and I have no idea what to do' look she got from a lot of her younger employees, though this time it wasn't just about what to do when a customer demanded a refund after clearly finishing half their drink. Nora took Emma's hand instead, holding it up to her as Zoey smoothed over Emma's hair.

"Do you have your phone with you?"

Emma had to think for a moment, her phone had been the least of her worries during all this, but now she frantically searched her pockets, her heart slowing when she found it in there. She handed it up to Nora, not even bothering to ask why she needed it, just craving that touch from Zoey which she was so good at my God.

Nora searched through the contacts as Zoey had one arm wrapped around Emma's chest, gripping her shoulder, the other combing through Emma's hair as she leant her head against Zoey's collarbone. She was just so tired.

Nora made an "Aha!" Sound as she showed Emma her screen. "Your emergency contact, 'ProDad Hidgens' Emma would have been more embarrassed at the portmanteau she once thought was good when drunk at a college party if it hadn't been for the slight shiver she got when realising she'd never changed him from her emergency contact. She hadn't seen him since she'd saved Hatchetfield, her last memory of the real him was during his breakdown where he tried to feed her- and Ted- to the hive. He'd been posting about his recovery process in therapy on this inspirational Facebook page he'd made, gaining him some noteriaty in their small town. Paul had kept her up to date with it, and even though at first she hated him for what he'd done, she had been proud of him for getting better.

Zoey took her pause as a sign she might not take up the offer. She rubbed Emma’s shoulder once "It may not be bad to spend a little time at your parents." She offered up.

"He's not my dad." Is all Emma mumbled, exhaustion taking over quite quickly. Zoey just nodded along, with pursed lips.

“Emma?”

“Hm?” Emma opened one of her drooping eyes to look at Nora, wiggling off Zoey so she didn’t accidentally fall asleep on her.

“I’m going to call your professor.” Nora had heard Emma talk about him before. “You need somewhere and someone safe to stay with tonight.” She reasoned, tilting her head to the side to say ‘please don’t fight me on this.’

Emma just nodded, going to stand to make herself another tea when she fell back down, hissing. Nora had already left the room, Emma’s phone in hand, which just left a startled Zoey. “What? What happened?” She asked, hands hovering over her.

Emma rubbed her scar. “My leg, I think all that running finally caught up to me.” She bit her lip as soon as she’d said that, she didn’t want them to know how long she’d been running, how desperate she was to get away, but Zoey had already seen her practically sprint inside Beanies so she knew it wasn’t really worth backtracking. Zoey didn’t seem to think so either. She asked a few medical questions she’d never really asked before. Emma just thought it was because that was what Zoey was like. But what she said next made her reconsider that.

Zoey looked up and down her wound, standing up, stuttering over her own words she told her “I’ll go find some pain killers.” She grabbed Emma’s cup. “And I’ll get you some chamomile this time... just promise not to get up yet...” she seemed to be stalling with her words. Emma gave her a half assed salute, heaving her leg up onto the sofa to stretch it out. She watched as Zoey turned toward the door, then back to her, back and forth as she chewed her lip off. She was about to ask when

“I’m sorry I crashed the helicopter.”

Emma blinked in surprise. She’d never really spoken to Zoey about the crash. It wasn’t the worst thing that had happened while she tried to save her town, and the thing that could fly, let alone aim a gun, and crash land a helicopter didn’t seem like the theatre kid she knew, she hadn’t really thought too much about it.

The silence threw Zoey off, she quickly bustled to get through the door but Emma yelled for her to come back in. Her head was hung slightly, and Emma had never seen her looking guilty at all, let alone this guilty. She normally blamed customers or her co workers, including Emma herself on occasion, when she screwed up, but something this big really must have affected her. Emma tried to give her the kindest smile she had with the pain still shooting from her leg. “I don’t hold anything against people for what they did when they were infected. You don’t have to apologise to me for that.” She knew, deep down she and Zoey were kind of similar. Not exactly two sides of the same coin, but they both had been theatre kids, both working a shitty job, both being called bitches on multiple occasions in a day and both stubborn when it came to sympathy. Emma squeezed Zoey’s hand, who looked eternally grateful for that small gesture, and then let her go.

She closed her eyes but before the door could even close as Zoey squeezed past, Nora was back in. Leaning up on the couch her heart started to race as she realised this would be the first time she’d spoken to Hidgens since she’d saved him and everyone else. A lump formed in her throat and the prickly feeling in her eyes was back at it again.

“He wants to speak to you.” Nora said in a quiet voice, setting the phone down in Emma’s hands. ‘More like demanded’, she thought to herself, giving a small smile as Emma thanked her before purposely closing the door quietly behind her, leaving them to talk.

Emma held the phone away from her ear for a while, her breathing heavy and eyeing the phone with uncertainty. Slowly she raised it and could hear the panicked tone turn into what was clearly her old professors words within seconds, finally pressing it to her cheek.

“Emma?! Are you there? Are you alright dear!?”

She burst into tears at the sound of his voice. Even after all he’d done, he was still a rock for her. And right now she didn’t want to remember his mistakes, she just wanted the only parental figure she’d ever trusted to tell her everything was going to be okay.

“Emma!? Talk to me, remember your breathing. What’s happened?” Hidgens sounded like he was trying to sound calm but was not doing a good job at it. 

“Hi- Hidgens...” she hiccuped. She didn’t even know what she wanted to say. What she could say. She just needed to confirm he was there, he could make everything okay, he was smart, her smart, parental, rock.

Hidgens sounded like he was choking up too at points throughout their brief conversation. He told her that he’d gotten a call from her work saying that she was in a bad way and needed a place to stay tonight and if he could do that for her, “Of course I agreed without haste!” He had informed her. “I tried to ask what had happened, if you were injured, but they said something about not wanting to say too much, and that you could tell me yourself what had happened if you wanted.”  
Emma smiled as she sniffled over the phone, yeah, they were really adhering to the ‘girl code’.   
Hidgens took a breath, and then. “Emma? Dear, can you please tell me what has happened, so I can help.”

She bit down on her lip. On one hand Hidgens was probably the only other person that could help. No way was she dragging PEIP into this, they could decide they’re all infected and blow up the town. But she also feared how Hidgens would react when she told him. She looked up at the clock, knowing within a few minutes Zoey and Nora would have their things ready and want to leave. She gave a little groan, unsure what to do.

“Emma?”

“I’m here. I’m still here.” She reassured him, sighing as she decided. She told him all about Paul. About how she’d heard him singing and that when she caught him his eyes were _that_ blue, how shocked he was when she caught him and it was obvious he knew that she knew, which just confirmed her suspicions! Towards the end of her ramble about how she got there, she was barely audible through her hearty sobs, meanwhile Hidgens had not said a word. He was too quiet.

Once she’d slowed down and stopped for breath, and he still didn’t pipe up she got worried. “Hidgens?”   
He had that same dazed voice like when he’d just been shook out of a thought. “Oh, Yes dear?.. I didn’t want to interject...” she could tell he was angry, not at her, and that could only mean one thing. Her heart sank and she grasped the phone tight.  
“Please don’t go after Paul.”  
His silence on the other end said it all. She was right, she knew his thoughts too well. 

“Emma-“

“Please!” She gasped, her lower lip wobbling like it always did when she felt like this. Paul always said it made her lose arguments when she looked so cut- no! She shut that thought out immediately, closing her eyes tight instead as she spoke into the phone. “I just lost Paul. I can’t lose you too...”

She heard him clearing his throat, even though he had angled the mouth piece away and waited with baited breath for his answer. It came back in a croaky voice. “Okay dear.”

Nora came back in. Emma told Hidgens she had to go and she’d see him soon, waiting for him to say his goodbyes before hanging up. She gave Nora an attempt at a smile, she hadn’t come with anything that wasn’t on her person, so she was ready to go. 

_~Forty minutes later~_

Nora looked in her mirror once more. She’d dropped Zoey off nearly half an hour ago, and Emma had been asleep in the back seat for about that long too, waking to say a quick goodbye to Zoey before unintentionally falling back asleep. Nora thought Zoey looked relieved to be able to say bye. 

She put her eyes back on the road and slowed down to look at the street sign, her lights finding an older man in a brown turtleneck waiting on his steps outside, whom she presumed was the infamous professor. She parked outside his gate and shut the engine off, opening her door she saw him timidly take a few steps down. "Are you Emma's friend?" She asked him, chin high, as he opened the gate. He seemed nervous, she assumed it was to do with him being a recluse of sorts, before he nodded at her. "Ah, yes. Yes I'm Professor Hidgens." He stuck his hand out and after a pause she gave it a quick shake. 

He looked away from her, into the window and Nora brought her attention back to the sleeping Emma, with her head resting against the seat. She opened the side door, the car lights tuning on on the inside, helping Emma awake along with Nora's light shaking. "Emma. We're here." She told her, waiting till she made eye contact, and albeit sleepily, she was awake and started to unbuckle her seatbelt, smacking her lips together.

Emma climbed out the car, shutting the door behind her and it was if she as surprised to see her professor, even though she was right outside his house.  
Henry was nervous, he hadn't seen her since she'd bravely destroyed the meteor and he’d destroyed her trust and even though her safety was his priority now, fixing their relationship was his next biggest milestone in life. "Emma..." He smiled at her, looking her up and down to see if she was injured.

"Hidgens." She responded, before pulling his lanky arms and bringing him into a hug, her leg not feeling up to moving those few steps towards him. He seemed shocked, as everyone had been with Emma's hugging tonight, but almost immediately he was embracing her. His arms firm around her shoulders as she fell into his chest, she was so tired. He patted her back, glad to have her at his home again, and safe now. They both pulled back quickly, him smiling down at her as Emma turned to her boss, who was still close to her.

"Thanks for driving me all the way out here, Nora." Emma said, not exactly a smile but an appreciative gesture on her face. "You can go home now if you want, I'll see you in work tomorrow."

"Oh-ho no you don't!" Nora said, holding Emma's hand and signalling for Hidgens to take the other, he did so, following suit as she placed her arm around the small woman and helped her up the stairs to his door, and then going further inside his house, well, it looked more like a fort. "I'm taking you to bed." She said sternly.

Emma smiled up at her tiredly. Nora didn't understand what made her so happy until "Oh Nora, you flirt. Buy me dinner first."   
She lowered her head with a chuckle, having Emma grip onto the bannister as they took her upstairs. "And you're definitely not coming in to work tomorrow." She added with a pointed stare.

Now Emma seemed to be more awake, with a concerned look on top. "But I wanna-!"

"Take a left here." Hidgens had to interrupt, just so Nora would help him drive Emma the right direction, she seemed to be leading them together.

Nora purposely put her arms round both of Emma’s shoulders, talking over her shoulder to hidgens who was forced to back off rather than awkwardly touch her, as she spoke lowly “I’ve got this.”

Hidgens was worried he’d upset them already, but it wasn’t anything he’d done in particular.  
Nora had to protect her female co workers at all costs, and sometimes that meant being overly suspicious and cautious when she didn’t need to be. After all: her female friend, in pain, vulnerable, was sleeping over at this mans house that Nora had not been able to judge yet. She placed Emma into the bed, Hidgens standing back as Nora took the half asleep Emma’s shoes off, throwing the blankets over her with accurate precision. But when she looked back at him she saw the way he looked at her. He was more fatherly than anything. He’d set her up in his spare room and wasn’t making any advances to go near her, he hadn’t even hugged her first. 

Emma watched through half slitted eyes Nora whisper to Hidgens in the doorway, him whispering with a lot less frequency, a few nods cast here and there before Nora waved at her from the doorway. Emma gave a small wiggle of her fingers back before throwing her head against the pillow she had been so used to all those months ago.

She didn’t close her eyes yet though, she could see Hidgens wavering at the door, two steps forward, one awkward shuffle back. Until he decided to find something to do. He sat on the edge of her bed. 

Emma felt like a child once more today, except she never got to hold her parents hand after a terrible day like this. Hidgens fiddled with her palm, tossing it over in his own before deciding on something to say. “If you need anything, dear, just call me, or Alexa.”  
Emma smiled, she’d forgotten about Alexa, he must have fixed her after he was cured, she couldn’t imagine him just buying a new one.

“I’ll put up the gate tonight to help you rest easy.” He assured her, patting down on her hand. 

Emma gave him an attempt at a smile but when she tried to breathe through her nose she noticed it was more of a sniffle. And looking at the panicked expression on Hidgens face she could guess she was crying again. “I’m fine. It’s fine.” She tried to assure him, taking the tissue he produced from his pocket without even looking, they were getting back into their old sync. He watched her carefully as she blew her nose, only to choke out. “I’m such a moron.”

Hidgens jumped into action. He held her shoulder and shook his head vehemently. Emma cut him off from whatever he was about to say.  
“No Hidgens. I was a love struck idiot who was totally blind to the obvious truth. Hell even cats and dogs knew before I did!” She thought back to those few times Paul tried to stroke animals. He had looked so excited when Emma’s college friend had offered to let him pet their Irish Setter, but the usual docile breed snapped at his hand immediately. He wouldn’t even go near animals the past 2 months, claiming he’d never been good with them. She scoffed out loud, connecting all these little dots together. She looked up to Hidgens distraught. “He... he cut his hand while cooking for me last week,” she explained “but before I could get there he had already covered it up, he’d even thrown the knife in the washing up bowl, and he refused to let me look at it!” She bit her lip to will it from wobbling as she remembered. “He was almost yelling at me when I called him a big baby and told him to let me see, but now I know what he was really hiding.” She shook her head of the thought, looking up to him, wracked with nerves. “I was so fucking oblivious... You must be disappointed in your ‘favourite student’.” She finished on that note.

But Hidgens would be damned if he let the conversation end there, even if she was falling asleep as they spoke. “I could never be disappointed in you, Emma.” He told her with a sureness in his voice he rarely had, it made her want to look at him to be sure. But she had closed her eyes, still listening to him but the thought of falling asleep to his words just seemed to bring comfort to her. Hidgens flicked his thumbs in his lap, until he understood that she still wanted to listen. So he continued. “Emma you are not an idiot for not discovering the truth sooner, you discovered it eventually. And remember, those creatures were- are designed to fit in among us.” The realisation that a member of the apotheosis was still out there was not a comforting one to Emma, she curled in on herself and Hidgens swore inwardly for being so blunt. He tried to change the subject. “When you wake up we can see how you feel. If you’re okay enough to maybe” he emphasised that last word “maybe, go visit your workplace.”

Emma smiled, bringing her hand up to her face, dragging the corners of her blanket with it as she felt more and more comfortable. 

“I understand needing distractions.” Hidgens continued, the weight of the bed shifting as he got up, Emma half asleep now so in no place to stop him as his footsteps halted at the door. “And I promise to get you anything you need.”

~~~~~~

Emma woke up at 1pm surprisingly. She and Hidgens shared a brunch (he didn't care about the time) of pancakes galore and she texted Nora after speaking to Hidgens once more about coming in. After explaining that she really wanted to come in for the distraction Nora said she could help Zoey with training the new employee for a few hours. This was a deal Emma loved, seeing as A) she didn't have to deal with customers, B) it was one of the easier jobs to do there and C) she actually wanted to spend time with Zoey, and, wow, even Nora. She liked how close they were yesterday and she wasn’t afraid to feel that.

But anxiety started to set in as they got further from Hidgens’ place. She was a bit scared her two co-workers, becoming friends, would have gone back to their old ways when she was outside the door, Hidgens promising her he'd wait till she was inside the coffee shop before driving off, and that’s he’d be there 15 minutes early to pick her up. The situation was quite different.

Zoey was now treating Emma like she did her theatre friends. "There you are babe!" She almost sang, that habit hadn’t quite died even after everything. Hands in the air, she pulled her in for a hug, but she could tell she wasn't doing this to gloss over yesterday. Not like those fake bitchy hugs she’d give to anyone outside her own little group that she ‘secretly’ hated. No, her hugs were warm and she wouldn't be more than 2 inches from Emma's personal space the entire shift Emma worked, which was only 3 hours with a break in between, like Zoey was protecting her.

The next day after Hidgens had apologised profusely for having to leave Emma alone to head for class, Emma felt lonely again and wanted to come in to work, something she never thought was possible. But when she called up to let them know she was about to leave, Zoey said not to. She was confused, and assured her that she’d be fine, but then she started to get pissed. Zoey saying it was ‘not a good idea’. Not wanting to yell at her though and after Emma pushed and pushed, Zoey gave up and with a heavy sigh, asked if he’d like to speak to Nora instead.

What Nora said made Emma actually feel sick. Turns out Zoey had a good reason, and she was trying to protect Emma by not spilling it. Nora sighed as she told Emma. “Paul has been in multiple times this morning, they had to threaten to call the police when he wouldn't leave the fifth time he came in, like he didn't believe us when we said that you weren’t here. We of course said we didn’t know where you were either!” She quickly tried to rectify. Emma fell against the wall of the kitchen counter, pulling the stools around her like that would protect her. Nora then apologised for scaring her, and feeling awkward, passed the phone back to Zoey, who had been not so subtly whispering things to Nora during their call. Emma didn’t say a word as Zoey tried to make it up to her that this had happened, like it was her fault. “We can still do something if you don’t want to be alone or trapped with your kooky professor, we can have some girl time!” She promised her, trying to cheer Emma up. Emma said she’d think about it before hanging up to call Hidgens.   
“Emma? What’s wrong, I was just about to hand out the classes tests.”

“I think... I’m having... a panic attack.” She wheezed, curling into herself in a ball. “Can you come back?” She sobbed. “Please?” She didn’t even need to say that. Hidgens had already made up his mind he was cancelling his class after hearing her first words. When he got back he assured Emma she’d done the right thing, and that everyone in her old class would be very happy she let them go home early. She laughed at that, and let Hidgens corrupt her into watching one of those old timey, cliched, black and white films he loved so much, and she begged him to just let her order some Chinese, so he didn’t have to go all the way to the kitchen and she didn’t have to strain her leg following him around.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Paul called, texted, emailed Emma constantly, but she never replied. He would have sent her a handwritten letter if he knew where she was, Emma was glad she reconciled with Hidgens with the added benefit that the amount of shit she’d talked about him to Paul during their ‘relationship’ he’d never guess that’s where she’d be. 

Five days in he just begged her to let him know she was okay. That her work, his work, Hidgens, any of her friends, even her parents wouldn’t say if they’d seen her or not. She was a bit pissed about him bringing her family into this. But after a late night phone conversation with Zoey she decided if he still had feelings it wasn’t fair to let him think she was dead and that maybe he’d stop harassing her if she sent just one confirming text, but Zoey was sure to point out Emma should never reply after that, unless it was something she really had to discuss or she decided to talk to him first.

So the next morning after another voicemail where he apologised over and over, something Emma couldn’t care less about, but where he revealed he was really frightened for her she gave him one text. 

‘I’m fine.’

And that was it. At the end of the week she gave him one more text, totally ignoring all the other ones he’d sent in between. 

‘Be out of _your_ house tomorrow 3-4’

When he asked why, which she hoped he wouldn’t ask, she decided to reply in hopes he would leave her be if she did. 

‘I need to pick some stuff up I need that’s still there’

Within seven seconds her phone buzzed again. She looked over the notification so it wouldn’t read as ‘read’, and would reply much later like always. 

‘Oh God are you movingout pleaes just give me a chance to explian!’

‘I just need a few essentials’

She wasn’t going to elaborate on if she was going to officially move out, she still had a lot of things to think about. Luckily she could take a breath as Paul agreed, even though she still didn’t trust him. That’s why she asked Hidgens if he’d go with her to pick up her stuff, just in case Paul decided he wasn’t going to leave now he knew where she’d be and when.

~~~~

Emma decided she was going to wait outside while Hidgens paid for his groceries, missing the fresh air and just being alone for one moment. But she didn’t have that happen for long, as someone called her name from down the street, bringing her out of her decision making process. She looked up and saw a beaming Charlotte. The bow-bearing woman ran up to her, giving her a quick hug and Emma gave one back. On one hand she had liked Charlotte but on the other she was Paul’s coworker, and his friend way before hers, so she didn’t know who’s side she was on yet.

“It’s good to see you, Charlotte.” Emma offered up anyway, backing up to rest against the wall, while peeking in to see Hidgens right behind a paying customer at the till. Emma didn’t last long into the conversation when after a few pleasantries Charlotte started to get into the topic Emma really didn’t want to discuss. Paul.

“He has been so down, he didn’t even come into work for, oh, days!” Charlotte told her the story, mentioning how sad Paul had been and how he was constantly bringing Emma up without even realising it. Emma didn’t feel well enough to tell Charlotte the truth. Luckily Charlotte saw that pale look creeping onto Emma‘s face and decided to back down. “Oh, I didn’t mean to nosy, I know relationships can have their problems.”

Emma bristled at that, hugging herself she crossed her arms as Charlotte began to talk again. “Charlotte?” She spoke up, cutting her off.

“Oh, mm?” Charlotte looked back at her, lips sealed. Emma shivered, looking side to side and wondering what the ramifications would be for running away from her and ditching Hidgens here right now.

“Could we just, not, talk about Paul?” She asked. Bracing herself for some type of refusal, even if she knew Charlotte wasn’t the type.

“Oh I’m so sorry dear!” Charlotte seemed genuinely shocked at herself and it relieved Emma. “I hadn’t even realised.” Now she looked guilty.

“It’s okay.” Emma smiled at her, seeing Hidgens was getting held up by what looked like something not scanning right thanks to the gaggle of tired looking employees swarming him.

Charlotte cleared her throat, bringing Emma back to her. She breathed out and smiled, wondering what else there was to say.

“You know, erm... he who shall not be named-“

Emma shook her head with a small smile at that. It was sweet that she was trying.

“Well, he mentioned you might be going to collect some of your belongings tomorrow. And that you really might not want him there when you do.”

Emma didn’t realise Paul was going to tell all this stuff to his co workers. She hoped Bill didn’t hate her, he’d always been kind to Emma.

Charlotte gave Emma a warm smile. “If you want I could get Sam to help you move some of the heavier stuff.”

Emma’s head snapped up, she tried to give Charlotte a smile, knowing she loved Sam, but Emma did not. “You and Sam are back together?” Last Emma heard they were supposed to be filing for divorce, but that was less than a month after the meteor being destroyed.

“Ah, well.” Charlotte explained timidly, not really sure how to phrase it. “Sam and I have our ups and downs, but right now, we’re in an up phase.” She smiled down at the ground, cheeks rosy and bitten on the inside. Emma looked _her_ up and down. Her hair was down, except for a peach coloured bow acting as a headband, she was wearing a work skirt that showed her calves, a floral work blouse and she was positively glowing. Someone was getting laid. She smirked at her, rubbing her shoulder. “Well I’m glad. But I’m sure I’ll be-“

That’s when the alarm for the door beeped as hidgens walked out with arms full of bags. Emma went to take half off him, Hidgens having sneakily put the lighter ones on his left where Emma was standing, so she didn’t have to carry the heavy items back to the car. He looked at Charlotte and she looked at him, they hadn’t spoken to Emma’s knowledge since he shot her and her husband when they were infected. But she didn’t sense much bad blood between them.

“Oh hello Charlotte.” Hidgens started, looking to Emma for support. She nodded back at him. “It’s lovely to see you.”

Charlotte nodded back, her teeth bright as she smiled also. “Why you too, Professor.” Charlotte took her hand off Emma and clasped them in front of her. “Well I should let you two get going, but Emma call me if you’d like Sam tomorrow, he could do with being given a little work...” Charlotte giggled to herself in what was clealry an inside joke. “But also, feel free to call me anytime. It has been nice seeing you again today.”

And suddenly Emma felt a little guilty. For thinking Charlotte would betray her, for not talking to Paul’s work friends after the incident, who had always been more than pleasant, except Ted who she had her own snarky relationship with and the odd incident with the odd Mr. Davidson. She would miss them when leaving Paul for good.

“Taking... Sam?” Hidgens piped up, looking between the two women quizzically. Uh-Oh. Emma linked arms with Hidgens, which was hard to do when he was so goddamn tall, and spoke up nonchalantly. “Yeah, Charlotte said she could ask Sam to come help with getting a few of my things tomorrow.” She looked pointedly at Hidgens. He knew he was there more as Emma’s bodyguard then her moving buddy but Charlotte didn’t know that. Emma didn’t want Charlotte to know that. “But you know, I don’t wanna bother him, he’s got an important job and it’s not like I’m really moving yet, so...”

Hidgens spoke quietly to Emma, not wanting to embarrass her by not agreeing with her in public but needing to speak his mind anyway. “Uh, Emma, dear. I think it might actually be helpful to have an extra pair of hands for moving tomorrow.” He gave her a kind smile and Emma knew the two of them were ganging up on her. She would so punch Hidgens’ chest as soon as they were back home.

“Well great!” Charlotte clapped her hands together. “I’ll go let Sam know and he’ll see you tomorrow, unfortunately I’ve still got work.” Charlotte bid them goodbye but when Emma got home, after punching Hidgens lightly, she thought of something she needed to say to Charlotte. After a quick passing of details of the times they were meeting she gave her one important task. ‘Let me know Paul’s still at work while I’m there.’

~~~~~~~~~

She unlocked the door with the key she still had, peeking her head around the door nervously, and holding her breath, just in case she heard a footstep, or breathing that didn’t belong to her. But after a minute of looking it over she decided it was safe enough. She gave Sam the task of taking stuff from the list in their ‘office’. It was really a tiny box room that was Paul’s office but Emma had all her notes for her pot farm in there, personal items that were important like her birth certificate, as well as gaming consoles she’d brought to Paul’s. Hidgens would take the living room while she waited for Sam to come downstairs with a small box. If he hadn’t found anyone hiding, not that she’d been telling him to look out for that, then she deemed the upstairs was safe. 

“What do you want me to do now?” Sam sighed, placing the box in Hidgens trunk. Emma already knew what she wanted him to do. “Just... stay there.”

He blinked at her. “Stay... here?” He raised one eyebrow, and it made her feel guilty since he was in his work uniform, like she was being questioned. “You don’t want me to get more shit?” He questioned.

She shook her head. “No, nope. Just, well it’s easier for us to keep the door open to go to and from the house and car, and we don’t want anyone breaking into Paul’s place... Even if Paul comes, don’t let him in till we’ve gone, we might accidentally bump him with something, or at least tell me first.” She attempted to laugh it off, not wanting him to realise he was there for protection. He just smirked at her, like he’d figured out her secret. “Ah a domestic. I get it. We get those all the time.“ He gave her a little ‘sympathetic’ pout.

“Plus I feel bad for taking you on your afternoon off.” She changed the subject, with gritted teeth.

“Oh trust me, I’m getting paid.” He smirked, looking up at the sky and clicking his jaw.

Emma rolled her eyes since he wasn’t looking. “Yeah well, you don’t have to do much else, I’m only getting things I need and personal shit, I’ll get proper movers once I’ve sorted everything out.”

“My wife thinks I’m working and you just want me to sit here and scare off the locals and Pauly? You got it boss!” He seemed very happy with this deal, chuckling as he sat on the front of Hidgens car, getting his phone out already.

Emma felt like anything she could say in a polite way to end the conversation would fall on deaf ears, so, making sure Hidgens was okay as he moved onto the kitchen, she sighed and got her phone out, collapsing on the sofa.

She opened her phone to text Charlotte, asking for an update on Paul since it was 3:18. Charlotte replied 3 minutes later, not the type to always be on her phone but promising to contact Emma.

‘He hasn’t moved from his desk. He just keeps checking his watch and he seems to be breathing a little funny. Also he definitely isn’t working even if he’s typing on his keyboard. :-)’

Emma was relieved, but decided even that was too triggering. So with a quick thank you she decided to ask her to just let her know if he left and in return she’d let her know when they were letting go of sam. Emma waited for Charlotte’s reply, a little ‘You got it!’ With a thumbs up and smiling face emoji, before Emma shut off her phone and finally, moved to her and Paul’s room.

She gasped as she opened the door. Everything she’d touched had been left exactly the way she’d remembered it. It was almost like she’d died! Apart from the plates she’d left in their room, which Paul had always cleaned up after even though she swore she’d do it later, everything was in place. She gulped, her mouth falling slightly open into an ‘o’ shape, opening her underwear drawer to get the essentials, she had to borrow money off hidgens for clothes she couldn’t wear of his, when she was too scared to go back to get it, after all, she hadn’t left with her purse either. That, she found underneath a candy wrapper of hers, Paul didn’t eat paydays. 

She placed it into her pocket, moving in to grab as many clothes that would fit into her laundry bag, and she’d come back for the others when she had decided where she’d go after this. She found her favourite sleeping tee strewn across the rocking chair in the corner, that Paul had said brought charm into the house, and Emma had always teased was ugly and old. But now she sat in it, her hands running down the smooth dark wood that she’d never appreciated and now feared she’d miss more than she should. But she’d get over it she told herself, she always had wherever she went. She grabbed her tee, getting some toiletries from their small en suite, and was about to leave, when her eyes caught something. 

All the picture frames on the bedside tables Paul’s side, weren’t facing forward like they usually were. They were facing him. And the one with the golden frame, wasn’t where it should be either. The one of Emma standing on her tippytoes to kiss Paul, while they both wore Mickey Mouse ears, under the castle at Disneyland. Somewhere she’d begged him to go to and on her birthday he surprised her with. He hadn’t even complained the journey there, even though he always had before hand. Paul had these dorky board shorts on and for the entire week after would constantly make Emma check his back to see if he’d got sunburned. They got pretzels and churros and Emma smashed a milkshake on the ground outside a cart as soon as she was passed it. It had been her favourite day of her entire life, and even if that wasn’t there most sexual or intimate kiss, it was one of her favourites and it was captured on camera. That one was on Paul’s pillow.

Before Emma knew what she was doing she was picking it up. Her brain screamed at her. This isn’t the man you loved! This is a thing that was pretending to be him! Your happiest moment is one of deception! But her heart screamed at her brain to shut up, and she locked it out. She just wanted to look at the photo, to hold those memories dear, screw if they weren’t real, they were back then for her, and that’s what she wanted. 

Her attention was brought back to something wet falling on her hand. Looking down she saw tiny tears had escaped from her eyes without her body’s say so, and there were two droplets streaming down the glass of the frame. Emma swore to herself as she put the frame back, trying to remember how he’d placed it because she was sure he’d know if she moved it. Giving up she took a photo she liked of all of them; her, Paul, Bill, Charlotte, Melissa and Ted. Paul was at the side where she could cut him out, even if she lost an arm that was attached to his hip in the process. This was Bills birthday, it was the bar they went to and when she’d officially labelled them from Paul’s friends to ‘our friends’. She snatched it up in hopes Paul would notice that instead and if she was honest, she liked it. But for now she was done with the room and the memories it held.

Hidgens was desperate for the toilet so Emma gave him permission to go, standing at the door and listening to Sam’s phone conversation with Charlotte. 

“Yeah babe. All the heavy lifting I’m doing is getting me so sweaty, but I guess I don’t need to go to the gym tonight huh Char?” 

He flexed one arm even though no one who cared was there and Emma rolled her eyes once more. Emma thought this must be married people’s version of phone sex. While even though part of her was grateful for the distraction of her own thoughts, she wished he wouldn’t do it in hearing range of her and her older professor.

Sam had helped Hidgens with stacking the boxes I.E. taking them from his hands when he was only inches from the boot anyways. And after dropping Sam off she and Hidgens went back home.

It had been 2 weeks since she’d last seen Paul. A week since she’d been back to their home, and she couldn’t get what she saw out of her mind. She tried to convince herself her emotions were getting in the way again. That he’d been lying to her this entire time, and that their kind wanted to hurt people. But... she needed answers. It was that plain and simple. She was also tried of taking her frustrations out on Hidgens pillows, and having to buy him new ones from guilt. There definitely wasn’t the fact she missed him either, not at all..

Eventually Emma agreed to meet up to talk. Replying to one of Paul’s million texts begging for a chance to explain. He thought it must have been a mistake when he saw the three dots indictating she was typing come up. But upon receiving her message he could literally leap for joy, and his leaping was good. 

‘Fine. Meet me at Beanies tomorrow. 2pm. I’m giving you one chance to tell the truth and that’s it.’

Zoey and Emma were talking behind the counter, going over their secret codes. “Coffee with cream.” Meant ‘everything is ok, I’m fine’. “Sugar please” meant ‘please give me an excuse to get out of this conversation’. And most importantly “I’m not thirsty”. ‘Call Colonel Schaffer. I’m/we’re in trouble’. 

They were looking over her list of questions Emma had on a scrumpled up Beanies napkin when Paul walked in. He didn’t even have to look around, having seen Emma though the glass in the door, and he started to come up to counter but Emma pointed her finger, twirled it and pointed to the two seater near the window. Paul understood and with an awkward smile aimed first to her then at the ground, sat down and waited for her obediently. She went back to whispering to Zoey, her eyes stuck on him though, and still chatting with her, even though the only thing she wanted to do was rip into his secrets, she just needed to make him wait.

Nora came out to take over for Emma as she went on her ‘break’. She glared over at Paul with sharpened eyes that always scared her employees, and she was happy when she thought she saw him gulp. None of them knew that he was not fully human and that had been what scared Emma off but they knew he had to have done something horrible. When Nora turned to Emma she was wearing a much more supportive face. “You’ve got this!” She exclaimed, patting her shoulder firmly. Emma gave her a smile to cover up how absolutely terrified she was right now. 

So Zoey decided she’d walk Emma half way through the shop, close to her table but just far away enough if she spoke lowly over the loud bustle of occupied tables Paul shouldn’t be able to hear her. The busyness is why Emma chose this time after all, it made her feel safe. Emma gripped onto her apron as if it would ground her. Watching the man she once loved draw closer and closer, even with her heart resistant, her feet had gone onto autopilot and she was almost there, almost close enough to hear him, oh God, when was the last time she heard Paul’s voice? She thought to herself, her throat feeling tight.

Zoey gave her cheek kisses which surprised both Paul and Emma, who was still getting used to this type of friendship some people had. She took Emma’s hands in hers briefly and finally said “I’ll be right at the counter keeping an eye on things if you needs me.” Before staring daggers into Paul, turning on her heel and leaving. If looks could kill, Paul would be a pile of ash in this Beanies.

Now that Zoey was gone and it was just Emma and Paul, she realised she had to do this. She had to talk to this alien wearing Paul. She didn’t even give him her customer service smile, knowing they were well past that. But he gave her one of his own, worried, and unsure, as she walked forward and sat on her seat across from him, quickly gripping the boiling coffee Nora poured for her, when she sat down, who chose to ignore Paul and scuttle out of their way immediately.

And now finally they were alone.

“Emma...” Paul spoke first. Emma was glad she hadn’t forgotten his voice, even if she didn’t know what that meant, but hey it beat him singing out right now. She swallowed her nerve and pulled her eyes slowly up from her cup and into Paul’s. His eyebrows were raised slightly, a happy sadness emanating from him, this situation hard for both of them. “Paul.” She responded back. But her voice was cold, null of emotion and void of any past relautionship they may have had, like a first time business meeting.

Paul seemed to relax at hearing her speak though, and speak his name nonetheless, his shoulders deflating from his more-stiff-than-usual look. “It’s good to see you. And to see you looking well and stuff.” He reached his hand out across the table, the gesture half part of his subconscious, just needing to reach out to her now she was so close, the other half wanting to see if she’d take him up on any such physical contact. But he was defeated.

Emma watched his every move with bated breath, and when he slithered his hand across the table toward her she pulled it into her lap quickly. She wasn’t going to keep civil now, and every emotion she’d tried to bury deep over the past few weeks was crashing out of her in waves. Instead of cradling her hand she placed it around her cup, she was not weak.  
“I’m warning you,” she started, staring pointedly “I have piping hot coffee here and if you do or say something I don’t like I’m throwing it into your lap.”

Paul pulled his hand back, gripping onto it like he was afraid it would reach out for her without his permission once again. He gave her a small laugh, trying to bring a sense of normality, of how they used to bicker, back into their conversation. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

There was silence for a moment, Paul tapping his hands on the table in a rhythmic tune, Emma’s nails rapping against the side of her cup.

“I waited in my armchair, in the living room those first few days, just in case you decided to come home.” He said, as that was what he had done, unless he was out searching to find wherever she was. His original intention to be to soothe any worries she might have had since Charlotte told her he hadn’t been at work when she’d left, as she’d mentioned seeing Emma the day before she took her things. But now he wanted to groan at himself for making it sound like it was all about him.  
Emma just nodded, clearly disinterested in discussing things post the reveal. So he dropped it.

Paul decided he’d try to think of something to say, he doubted he had long to try and tell Emma the truth. “So-“

“What happened?” Emma had a question of her own bubbling and as soon as Pual opened her mouth she’d be damned if during this time she never asked what she needed.

Paul shut up. He wiggled once in his chair before leaning over the table slightly, not wanting to risk anyone hearing.  
“You, erm, I’m not sure what you’re referring to.” He said guiltily, he didn’t want her to think he was pushing her buttons deliberately and for her to say ‘this was a stupid idea’ and storm out for him to never see her again.

Emma wasn’t thinking about any of that. She was in full interrogation mode. “How come me blowing up the meteor seemed to cure everyone but you? Is it because you were the last person infected or some shit like that?” Even asking that one question seemed to take up all the energy she had. She slumped in her seat, her hands rubbing her face as she covered her eyes with a moan. “How could I not have noticed?” She spoke to herself.

Paul placed his hands in front of him on the table but didn’t attempt to touch her. “Hey.” He started softly, making Emma peek through her fingers at him. He sighed. “It’s not your fault. And I’ll tell you what happened.”

Emma placed her palms flat on the table, her eyes and ears open, ready to listen. So with a heavy breath, Paul started.   
“The reason I’m... I’m still infected...” he waited for her to cringe or reply in disgust but she just kept very very still. He continued. “Is because I didn’t get infected the same way as any of the others did.”

Now Emma was curious, that wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “I,” He started to sweat “I’m sorry but I lied to you in our first week, when you destroyed the meteor.” He felt guilty, she hated the fact he’d lied to her about all this and to be truthful and make things right, he had to admit all of his other lies he’d told her.  
“I said that I was too weak, hurt from partially blowing up the meteor, and that’s when one of the infected pinned me down and, y’know, puked in my mouth.”

Emma’s eyebrows furrowed, she hadn’t even considered that wasn’t true. “W-wait.” She shook her head, trying to wrap it around this. “If they didn’t make you eat their blue shit, then how did you get infected in the first place? Because,” she looked at his eyes, now she knew she could see they were just a little too blue, he looked down in shame. “You’re obviously still infected.” She finished her sentence.

Paul answered her when he gained the courage to look back into her eyes, he needed to show her he was being real. “The spores.”

Emma took a second to think, but then remembered Hidgens mentioning something about spores surrounding the meteor like a sheild, just before he went off the deep end and knocked her out. 

Paul continued speaking. “They got into my lungs and I was part of the hive, but different.”

Oh no. Emma thought to herself, but that meant. Her hand flew to her mouth to stop her from sobbing out a whimper but it was a little too late. Paul looked over at her concerned, eyebrows furrowed. “Emma?” He asked worried.

Her eyes flew up to his, her hand still lingering around her mouth in shock, and her eyes stinging. “It’s my fault.” It was. It was all her fault, over and over she messed up when it came to Paul, the real him just have hated her. “I knew about the spores, I was so focused on my leg I forgot and I sent you to that theatre. I got you infected. I _killed_ you!” 

“Emma! Emma no!” His hand flew to hers, resting on top of her wrist and neither of them seemed to notice or care that they weren’t supposed to be touching. “Emma it is not your fault okay. You didn’t kill me. Because I’m not dead.”

Emma’s eyes were wide. The people in the hive were cold, their blood stopped, they could fix themselves when they’d been injured. But Paul...

“It’s not like I’m an alien, a completely different person, just possessing my body.” Paul had meant to let Emma ask the questions, to speak the least, but he couldn’t stop himself as the words fell out of his mouth...  
“I’m the same Paul except I can sing and dance well now and enjoy it. But I can control it! I never have the urge to do something I don’t want to, I can’t make up lyrics and choreography on the spot and I don’t share a mind with anyone except my own, and when I’ve opened it up to you. My blood is purple, yeah a mix but not fully blue, but I’m not a different person or even thing. I’m still the same man and everything I’ve said to you, Emma, in this relationship was true. It has always been 100% my pure feelings and stuff I’ve dreamed about one day telling you... if I ever got the courage to ask that hot barista out. If one day, you’d want me to say those things to you. And words, and emotions I couldn’t even imagine, came to me when I got to know you, and I told you every single time the way I truly and honestly felt, as Paul Matthews.”

The speech made Emma cry.   
She was crying before he’d finished, she was crying long before she even knew she was crying. Only learning of it when Zoey came over, knowing her footsteps but not looking up at her.

“Emma?” Zoey asked, her voice concerned.

”Cream!” Emma choked out. And Zoey left them quickly, realising what type of tears they were, or rather weren’t.

Emma had thought this had been some thing pretending to be human, pretending to be the man she’d escaped a helicopter crash with and who had been the only person to treat her with respect at her job. Pretending to love her like no one else had. Or just a trick to one day take her and start the alien revolution all over again. But it wasn’t. It... he...

She swallowed, tears dripping onto the lid of her coffee with small thuds.  
“So...” she began, her voice wavering and throat aching. “you’re really Paul?” 

Paul’s hand hadn’t left hers, and now it moved from her wrist to gently intertwine with her fingers. “I promise. I’m the same man you knew back before all this shit. I’m the man completely and utterly in love with you Emma Perkins.”

Emma was done. She was done being scared of who she thought wasn’t Paul, was done not seeing him and hearing him and would never be away from him again. 

In one swift move her hand had left his, making him terrified she didn’t care that he was still him, but in the next second the latte hottay had thrown herself onto him. Her arms clinging desperately around his neck, clawing into his skin, and spirinting onto his lap, her legs curled around his waist no matter there were customers and her friends watching in shock. And her face was buried in his neck, his collar catching her tears and his smell the same as it had always been, before the apotheosis and after. 

Paul was shocked for about one second but in the next he had gotten over it and was gripping onto her just as tight. He’d have to have his limbs detached before anyone could get him to let go of Emma again.

And now he was crying too, his eyes a deep red, his lips wet as he buried himself into Emma’s shoulder; crying out her name in a whisper no one but she could hear, like a scared child; Which was weird because no matter what people said about Emma, she’d never seen Paul cry either.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally supposed to be just girls supporting girls at Beanies with the Paul scenes at the start and end, but as you can tell I got a little carried away with the story haha
> 
> This is probably the longest one shot I’ve ever done, it took me a week which is why I haven’t uploaded a new chapter to my other fic series yet, but that’ll be next!
> 
> As always please please please let me know what you think, comments are always appreciated! :-)


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